The Trip
by sfscarlet
Summary: Qaf gift xchange 2014- Daphne wants Justin to take a trip


"Come on, Justin, you know it will be fun." Daphne sat at the kitchen table, peeling back the foil top of her peach yogurt. The sun peaked out from behind the clouds giving the winter day a little light.

"I can't just up and leave and go to Vegas with you, Daphne," Justin said. Justin bit into the bagel he had made for breakfast. The melted peanut butter almost liquid on the warm bread. A drip of peanut butter stayed on the corner of his mouth and he stuck his tongue out to lick it off, smacking his lips in the process.

"Sure you can. You've been overwhelmed for weeks. All you do is work and more work. A wise man once said, 'all work and no play makes Justin a dull boy'." She took a spoonful of her yogurt and licked the spoon a second time. Her eyes danced at the cliché she quoted as it seemed so apropos.

"You know I can't go right now. I've got my shifts at the diner. I was hoping to put together my portfolio to start submitting it to a few galleries over break and I have shopping I have to finish." Justin ticked off each deadline on his finger, slumping back in the wooden kitchen chair. The hum of the fridge back ground noise in the small kitchen. Outside a bird pecked at their bird feeder. Daphne had decided that the birds needed help this winter and bought a bird feeder that she kept filled. She enjoyed seeing the birds outside their kitchen window.

"I know no such thing. Come on, it's only four days. You told me at dinner last night that you weren't scheduled at the diner all of next week, pleading too much to do. You know this is your favorite time of year; all the parties, ice skating in the outdoor rink, the decorations. Shopping for presents, getting just the right one for each person on your list- it's one of your favorite parts of the season. You'll find way more creative gifts in Vegas than here in the Pitts. And just think of everyone's envious faces when you casually mention you got their gifts in Vegas." Daphne smiled at him, a smile that had its own magic charm on her longtime childhood friend. "This will be your present to yourself. They always say reward yourself first. So gift yourself a long weekend with me." Daphne pushed her chair back from the table and looked at the bird through the window.

"Daph, I can't…"

"Yes, you can. I won't take no for an answer. Besides, I already booked us two tickets on your credit card and I know you hate to pay for something that you don't use." She kicked out the foot that she had been sitting on and swung it back and forth. Smiling at Justin, she could see his shock by the wide eye expression he was sporting.

"You did what! How could you do such a thing?" Justin leapt off the chair and ran to the bedroom, searching for his wallet on top of the dresser. His credit cards were all there.

"Too late. I did this last week and you'll pay an even bigger penalty if you cancel now." Daphne finished the last spoonful of yogurt as she watched her frantic friend.

"When do we leave?" Justin said, resigned to the impromptu trip. Justin recognized when he was defeated. When he thought about the trip, it sounded outrageous, just the thing Daphne would do, but he kind of liked the idea.

"Today at 4:00. I booked us a night flight. It works perfectly. It's a four hour flight and that will put us there at 8:00 our time, but the beauty is that it's only 6:00 Vegas time. So we still have some time to catch a late show or go to a casino. I even did some research on the LBGT venues. There is this awesome hotel called Linq and it has a show, Divas a great Drag Show. I bought us tickets to the 9:30 show."

"Daphne. I'm not made of money. How in the world am I going to pay for this little trip?" Justin asked as he calculated the cost of airfare and tickets to one of the best drag shows in his head.

"I bought the tickets myself. I've always wanted to see a first class drag show. I hear the men are better looking than some women. Who knows, I might get a few ideas for my next trip to Babylon."

"4:00 pm. Shit! Daphne. You're certifiable. How do you expect me to just up and leave by this afternoon?

Daphne threw the yogurt container into the recycle bin and washed her spoon, placing it in the drainer to dry. "I imagine the best thing would be for you to go in your bedroom and get out your suitcase. Vegas is a classy place and you need some hot clubbing clothes. I expect we will go dancing."

Justin was too blindsided to respond. He had so many arguments as to why this was not a good idea. He had a lot to do in the next week. He'd asked off when his mom told him he was going to get a small inheritance from his Uncle Peter. He figured with that money, he could pay his December bills and also buy some nice presents. He was hoping to enjoy some of the holiday activities if he wasn't working. He was just too busy to take off four days and go to Vegas.

"I guess there's always a first for everything. I just can't go Daph. I'm supposed to go shopping with Gus this weekend to buy Brian a present. I can't stand him up," Justin said as he remembered his commitment to the youngest Kinney. While Brian was not the holiday lover, his son was still enamored with the festivities. He wouldn't disappoint the little boy.

"I'll call him and tell him I'm kidnapping you and you will take him next week." Daphne said. "He'll think that is very funny, kidnapping a friend." Daphne laughed at her quick and clever answer. She knew when she explained to Gus about the trip, he would be happy to postpone his venture with Justin. Daphne walked over to the couch and leaned down, grabbing Justin's hand. Pulling him up from the couch was a little harder when he wasn't cooperating but she managed. She pushed him toward his room. 

"Time's precious. If you pack now, you'll have some time to take care of those little errands that you were listing off. I won't let you in the studio; I might not get you to the plane on time. But I will go with you to deliver Debbie's containers that she needs for Christmas. You know you'll just get them back with leftovers from the family holiday dinner. And you can return those pants that Emmett loaned you. I can't imagine what you were thinking when you wore them, but if you get them out of your closet, I'll try to bleach that image from my brain."

Justin walked to his room and pulled out his duffle. In all these years, he still had not bought a traditional suitcase. At least this time when he used it, it would be for a fun trip and not because he was relocating yet again. He looked at the alarm clock, seeing that it was 10:00 am. They were leaving in 6 hours but he had to be at the airport in four and it took 45 minutes by bus to get there, unless Daphne had somehow magically arranged for a car to take them. So really instead of 6 hours he had three hours. The errands he wanted to run would take at least an hour and a half.

"Daphne," he yelled from the bedroom. "Are you going to drive us and park your car or do we have to take the bus?"

Daphne walked to the doorway and said, "I'm taking my car. We don't get back until 10:30 Monday night so I don't want to catch the bus at that hour. I picked up a Groupon for a free day parking at the Park and Ride if you pay for two days. I also have another coupon for 20% of your total cost and you can use them together. I prepaid for parking through this awesome website online." She walked to her purse, pulling out several pieces of paper and waved them in front of her. "See, Daphne is organized"

"You've done a lot of planning for this."

"Yep. You've been working way too much and your hand needs a rest. No use in having a zillion projects if you can't use your hand. I've been watching you the last few weeks, you've been massaging your hand a lot." She walked back to her purse and put the papers back in the front pocket. "I got an early Christmas present from my grandmother and she wanted me to do something fun. We don't get to spend very much time together these days. You're always working or with Brian."

"Whatever. I'm just glad that we aren't married. I can't imagine the manipulations you would use to get me to do things," Justin said, the teasing evident in his tone. He made a shooing motion with his hand. "I'll be packed in 15 minutes. There are some distinct advantages to not being a clothes horse like Brian. It would take him hours to pack for a four day trip, picking out endless numbers of black shirts and jeans that all look the same to me," he said as he thought about the last time he watched Brian pack for a business trip. It had taken him 2 hours to pack three suits, four shirts and a pair of jeans. He just did not get the whole clothing thing.

As Justin promised, he was packed in 15 minutes and brought his bag out to the living room. Daphne had her suitcase waiting by the door. Justin grabbed his packages and put them beside his suitcase.

"I know this will be a memorable weekend. You'll thank me when it's over." Daphne grabbed her bag and opened the door. Justin followed and then locked the door behind him. They walked to her car and placed the bags in the trunk. They delivered their packages quickly and then they drove to the airport.

Arriving at the airport at 1:45, they parked their car at the Park and Ride. They grabbed their bags and were on the shuttle in less than 5 minutes. The trip took only 5 minutes and they were on the sidewalk ready to walk into the airport.

"I think I should travel with you more often. Usually this is such an ordeal. I never go with Brian to the airport or pick him up. I just wait for him to get back from his business trip or he waits for me."

"Speaking of Brian, what are you two doing for the holidays?" Daphne asked as she walked up to the self-serve check in kiosk.

"I don't know. He doesn't really like the holidays. He goes to Debbie's more out of fear of retribution rather than desire to celebrate. Spending time with Gus is important and since 3 year olds are just beginning to get the whole holiday thing, he will spend some time with him."

"So, you're not celebrating with him?"

Justin shrugged. "We just got back together. Things are still kind of unsettled."

"Unsettled?"

"We aren't a couple, not like Michael and Ben or Mel and Linds. We spend time together because we want to, not because someone puts a label on us."

"But he took you back. I mean the fiasco with Ethan…"

"Brian cared for me, he just wouldn't say the words and I was looking for the words. Ethan said the words, but really liked the idea of a relationship rather than the reality. The minute an adoring fan showed his face; Ethan fell for the guy, not even giving me a second thought. I know where I stand with Brian; his actions speak louder than any words and I know how to read 'Brian Kinney.' never said the words but his Brian never promised anything so he never had any promise to break." Justin printed his boarding pass and they walked toward their gate.

"Doesn't that bother you? I mean not knowing where you stand." She took the paper print out showing she had checked in and put it in the front of her purse along with the other travel papers. She opened her purse to grab her ID and put it in the same area. While flying had its distinct advantages, there were still some hassles about the experience.

Justin took Daphne's place at the kiosk and he checked in as well. After his paper was printed, he stuck it in his front pocket. There was a short line of other passengers waiting to use the kiosk. They looked for a LED sign board to locate information about their flight, finding one immediately to their right.

Daphne had all the flight information so Justin waited while she located the correct corridor and gate.

"We're in terminal C at gate 47," she said as she pointed to the correct area. Guess we have to wait in line for security. The line looks long; hopefully it will not be a long wait."

As they stood in line, they continued their conversation. "My relationship/non relationship with Brian is complicated. I understand there are areas that are totally taboo to bring up but I also know he would do anything for me. He is more open with me than anyone else. I see a side of Brian that no one else sees, even Michael who claims to be his best friend. Brian is with me when he wants to be. No one forces him and society doesn't push him. I know when we're together, it's because he wants it." They reached the front of the security line. After taking off their shoes, emptying their pockets and placing all the pertinent items in the plastic tubs that security provided, they walked through the detector booth and quickly grabbed their belongings.

"So, bottom line, you have no idea if you will be celebrating any of the holidays with him." Daphne put on her boots and grabbed her backpack, hitching it on her back.

Justin nodded. "And really that is fine. I love the holidays and I don't want to drag him to celebrations he doesn't want to be at. I will spend time with Debbie and the family and I will see my mom and Molly. Of course, I might even spend some time with you, woman." He pushed a closed fist into her arm.

"You better. I'm making your favorite turtle cookies." Daphne made a mental note to check she had all ingredients for the cookies; she couldn't come up with some other type of cookie now.

"My mouth is watering all ready."

They walked to the gate and found two chairs next to each other. Justin pulled at his IPod and put it in his earplugs to listen to his favorite music while Daphne watched the people at the gate. As a psych major, she loved to watch people in public places, finding their interactions with each other fascinating. Their flight was called and they boarded the plane. Since it was a long flight, there were several on flight movie options and Justin chose to watch _Bad Santa_ to get into the mood. He loved Christmas movies and this one was a favorite. Daphne watched _Elf. _They were served a sandwich and chips and a cookie for dinner. Both of them were hungry so they ate. The plane arrived on time.

Grabbing their bags from the overhead bin, they headed down the ramp into the airport. Reading the signs, Daphne directed them to the level where hotel pick up was located.

"We're staying at the Linq. It's where _Divas_ is playing. It's right in the middle of the strip. We can take a cab, walk or the trolley. I can't wait."

They found the pick up bus for the hotel and hopped on. They arrived about 15 minutes later and checked into their room. They had a deluxe two bed double room.

"This is pretty high class. The beds have pillow top mattresses and the furnishings are all modern. Not bad for $55.00 a night." Daphne sat on the edge of the bed and bounced up and down a few times. "I can easily get used to sleeping on this mattress. When I graduate and start my practice, I'm investing in a pillow top mattress. These things are like sleeping on air."

"I guess $55.00 a night is ok, but it's a lot of money when I'm counting every dime. I've been working a lot at the diner. Maybe I'll ask Debbie for a few extra shifts during winter break."

"I told you, I'd split the cost of the room. There is so much to see and do that is free here. Each hotel has its own theme and you can go into the hotels and do a lot of cool stuff for nothing. At MGM, you can see the lions, the Bellagio has a beautiful conservatory and the light show at night is great." Daphne touched her finger as she listed each attraction.

"Ok. Our show isn't until 9:30. Let's walk down the strip a little and just take in the sites and I want to get something to eat. That food was almost inedible." Justin heard his stomach rumble at the mention of the poor excuse for dinner on the plane.

"Sure. I'm going to change. It's supposed to be a classy show and I don't want to show up in jeans and a sweater."

"I'll take the bathroom and you can change in here." Justin laid his duffle bag on the bed and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a blue button down shirt, his toilet kit and went to the bathroom to change.

Daphne quickly changed and put on some night time makeup before Justin left the bathroom.

"Hurry up in there. Luckily we only have to go downstairs."

Justin came out and Daphne looked him up and down, nodding her head in approval and unknowingly licked her lips.

"Daph… I'm gay or have you forgotten?" he said as he watched her eye him.

"I remember." She grabbed her purse and got out the tickets. "Ok. It's 7:30. We should have time for some dinner and be back here by 9:15 for the show."

They walked out of their room, making certain the door was secure and made their way to the lobby. As they looked around the lobby they saw at least four restaurants.

"Why don't we just eat here? We can explore the strip after the show. I don't want to get too far away and then miss the beginning," Daphne suggested.

Looking at the choices in the hotel they settled for a place called Off The Strip Bistro. Justin ordered a steak, finally deciding to go with the flow and indulge himself since he probably wouldn't be in Vegas again for a long time. Daphne had the Chicken Broccoli bake.

Justin tore off a section of his Italian dinner roll and buttered it.

"Okay. Pinch me Daph. I'm really sitting in Las Vega and in a little while we're going to see Divas, one of the oldest drag shows."

Daphne pinched him as requested. She took a drink of her water and laughed.

"Ow. That hurt," he said with a smile. "Guess it isn't all a dream. So what's on the agenda after Divas? I don't want to waste any time here. If I'm spending money for this folly, I want to remember it."

"Let's just see what we feel like. I don't want to make any plans." She played with water glass, swirling it around.

"Okay. Maybe we'll have time to find one of those display shelves that have all the brochures and flyers for nearby attractions."

"I think I saw one at the corner of the lobby. This hotel is huge, you almost need a road map just for it."

Their food arrived and they ate with little talking since they were both hungry and the food on the plane was not very filling. When they were finished, Justin signaled for the check. He looked at it, sighed and paid the bill.

"Time for the big show. Let's head to the Showroom."

They waited in line for 15 minutes, showed their tickets and were seated at a table. A woman with high heels, fish net stockings and a very low cut cocktail dress came to their table and took their drink order.

"What do you think, guy or girl?" Daphne whispered.

"Not sure, but I'd say guy. Either way, Emmett should come and take lessons," Justin said as he looked around. The waitress brought Justin his Jack Daniel and Coke and Daphne her Strawberry Daiquiri.

"Jack Daniels and Coke. My aren't you the connoisseur," Daphne said as she sipped her drink.

"Jack is a smooth whiskey. I wanted to enjoy the drink."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say Brian was rubbing off on you, but the Justin I know would never know the difference between Jack Daniel and Jim Beam."

Before he could offer a proper retort, the MC came on stage and started the show. They were mesmerized by the first impersonator and each successive act just got better. The show was over before they knew it.

"That was excellent. Thanks for the present. I guess maybe you were right. I haven't had so much fun in a long time. Between work at the diner and school, and all the other things going on, I'm swamped. I barely know if I'm coming or going." He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. They stood up from their table and walked toward the exit.

As they excited the venue, Daphne steered them toward the casino. "Let's try our luck."

"I don't know, Daphne."

"Okay. Let's go to the wishing fountain. They say that if you throw a quarter in it, you're wish will come true."

"Lead the way. I could just sit and watch the people. There is so much here. I'll have to get some sketch pads tomorrow so I can spend part of the day here."

Walking toward the edge of the fountain, they found an empty space and sat on the ledge. Daphne took out her phone and sent a text to an unknown contact. Justin didn't pay any attention as he was mesmerized by the changing colors and dancing water.

He was taken out of his semi trance by a familiar "I found you. Luckily Justin's blonde mop is like a honing beacon for me. I can sense it anywhere," Brian said as he sat down next to them.

"Brian! What are you doing here?" Justin asked.

"I came to rescue you. Gus told me that Daphne kidnapped you. I couldn't let that happen. She might make you do evil things and cast a spell on you."

Justin looked at Brian, the smirk on his face and the genuine laughter in his voice made him look twice.

"You did this?" Justin waved his hand in a large circle.

Brian nodded his head.

Looking at Daphne, he asked, "You didn't charge this on my credit card, did you?"

Daphne shook her head.

"But, why…?"

Brian didn't answer, just shrugged his shoulders.

Justin looked at Daphne as the reality of the situation hit him. "What will you do for four days?"

From a few feet away, Evan, Daphne's current boyfriend joined the group.

"Oh, I think I can keep her entertained."

Justin laughed and then gave Brian a huge body smashing hug. "Thank you. This is the best present ever."

Brian kissed Justin's head, pushing him away. "I have better ways to spend the rest of the evening than watching some dancing lights in a fountain."

Justin's sunshine smile filled his face. "I guess that answers my question about the remainder of the evening. Bye."

Justin and Brian left Evan and Daphne standing by the fountain.

"That went really well. Brian must really care for Justin if he went through all that trouble to get him here. Wouldn't it have been easier to just ask him to join him?"

"That isn't Brian's way. This was better. Justin understands that Brian took a lot of time planning this weekend. Planning means he cares and wants Justin happy. His actions today speak volumes, much clearer than any small invitation to join him in Vegas for a weekend."

"It's nice to know people still believe in romance. Let's say we have some of our own."

"Sounds like an excellent plan."

The end


End file.
